1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to system for controlling the display of temporal data, such as a video sequence and, more particularly, to a system that provides a mobile scrubwheel that can be used to not only select the temporal data to be controlled but also to make the temporal data move forward or backward in time.
2. Description of the Related Art
In editing motion video images the editor is typically provided with a control board that allows the user to cause a temporal image or a video sequence to move forward and backward at various speeds as well as to pause. The forward and backward motion is often controlled by a wheel set within the control board that is sometimes called a "scrubwheel" or a "jog/shuttle wheel". As the editor rolls the scrubwheel one direction the video sequence moves forward and as the wheel is rolled in the other direction the sequence goes backward. Typically a single control board can be used to control several monitors and video sequences with a monitor dedicated to a particular video sequence. The set of controls for the particular monitor include the scrubwheel providing a scrubwheel that is dedicated to the particular monitor and video sequence. When the editor wants to control a different video sequence a different set of controls (scrubwheel) may be used or a single control unit may be used (switching between the various video signals using pushbuttons).
Today, video as well as other temporal data editing, such as for animation sequences and music, is being done with computers. These editing systems often show two or more sequences on the same display with the sequences being controlled by the single computer. The temporal data is often divided into frames such that one picture of a video sequence corresponds to one frame. Typically, the user must use an input device, such as a mouse, to select a video sequence to be controlled, to select a displayed tool with which to control the sequence, such as a slider, and to then manipulate the displayed tool to control the motion of the sequence. The user must go through the same steps to control a different video sequence. This type of control is awkward and slow.
What is needed is a system that allows the user to display several video sequences simultaneously and use the same device to select and control the sequences without the need for displayed tools.